Frequently Asked Questions
The best way you can help currently is to submit an odor report to the FDEP Complaint Survey every single time you smell it. Include the precise location and time if you aren't submitting right away, but right away is preferable. Submit multiple times a day if you continue to smell it throughout the day. This all helps us build a strong case as to proving how our lives are impacted.
Also submit a PRIDE report any time you see or hear them working after hours or see their gates open after hours.
We will lose this fight if we give up. That is what they are counting on.
What Can I Do To Help?
Due to the ongoing situation regarding Indianhead Biomass' biosolids operations causing the odor of human feces to impact the nearby resident's lives, welfare, and unreasonably interfere with the comfortable use and enjoyment of their lives and property, Sonya Fry has retained a lawyer, Mr. Ralph DeMeo, to fight against this injustice. This is not a “If we get the funds, we will get a lawyer” situation - Sonya has already retained Mr. DeMeo and moving forward with giving us the only chance we have to fight against our situation through an Administrative Hearing.
This should never have been a burden placed on any individual since it’s the facility who is at fault, but here we are, and we are requesting the community to help aid in this fight for all of our sakes and donate to this GoFundMe. Any donations to help alleviate the burden of the legal and other fees associated with this endeavor from being solely upon Sonya is appreciated beyond belief. The cost of this endeavor is three years of her salary as a paraprofessional at a St. Johns County Elementary School, and she is taking the funds out of her retirement account to fight this.
For the full explanation at how we arrived at Administrative Hearing being our only option, please read the GoFundMe page.
What is the GoFundMe For?
Are We Sure It's Indianhead Biomass?
100%.
The FDEP confirmed that Indianhead Biomass was the source of the odor in 2023. They investigated nearby potential sources, but ultimately determined that Indianhead Biomass is the sole source of the fecal odor.
Indianhead was here first
This is incorrect.
Indianhead first began as a yardwaste facility in 2007. It wasn't until 2018 that they began biosolid operations. Many affected residents have lived here for over 30 years. Many residents were here first. And even if that were not the case, who comes first does not exempt Indianhead Biomass of their responsibility to adhere to their permits and state regulations from both the FDEP and the County.
In March 2023, Indianhead and the FDEP created the Odor Management Plan to address the odor problems that nearby residents were experiencing. In it, Indianhead Biomass vows: "If odors create a problem for you or your neighbors from Indianhead Biomass, we commit to you to resolve the odor problem quickly and effectively [...] We do not want to cause odor problems for you or any of our neighbors and commit to you to stay a good neighbor.”
Despite this vow, the FDEP has documented that Indianhead has made no changes to address the odor concerns. The FDEP has not enforced the Odor Management Plan.
They're Doing All They Can
Up until 2023, most people did not know that Indianhead processed biosolids. The residents who have lived here for decades were not sure where the odor was coming from nor where to officially report it. When Indianhead Biomass applied to do biosolids, one of the questions from the PZA was if Indianhead had reached out to discuss with the Morgans Cove community as well as notify all residents within 300 ft of the facility.
Due to where Indianhead decided to put their biosolids operations, it was outside of the 300ft range in which required them to contact the existing residents and no one yet lived in Morgans Cove. The surrounding residents were left in the dark about what was to come.
The first Morgans Cove residents didn't move in until June 2022 and were told by developers that the odor was from the fresh landscaping and that the odor would go away once the development was finished. Believing such, Morgans Cove did not submit any complaints. However, when the odor did not go away, more research into the source was conducted. It was discovered that Indianhead Biomass was causing the odor. With many residents unsure of how to address the situation, it took time before the residents were told about the FDEP complaint survey and were able to begin submitting to the FDEP regarding our situation.
It was not that the odor was not present, it was that the communities did not know the source, where to submit complaints, or had been lied to.
Why Did the Complaints Only Begin in 2023?
Has Indianhead Ever Been in Compliance?
According to the FDEP's documentation, Indianhead's biosolid operations have never been in compliance. An easy way to evidence this is as follows:
In 2022, the FDEP documented that no Class A Licensed Operator was at the facility since its inception in 2018, and the thermometers were not calibrated.
The thermometers continue to go uncalibrated despite multiple meetings where they are mentioned until they are mentioned for the final time in October of 2023. By that point, the violations of odor are well documented. They are still in violation of their permit regarding odor to this day.
Please note, the above example is one of a myriad of violations and many violations were either reoccurring or never remedied up until the FDEP issued a consent order and began to issue fees to Indianhead in order for them to begin to come into compliance.
It took Indianhead six years and fees to begin to come into full compliance, but then they were able to come fully into compliance (baring the odor violations and hours of operation violations) within two months. They had the capability all along to comply with the operational demands but chose not to take action until a lawful consent order was placed on them and they began to incur fees.
What Rules Are They Breaking?
For a list of current violations regarding odor and their hours of operations, please view the violations tab. All of the rules and corresponding F.A.C's are listed there. If you would like to see the history of violations, there is a tab for that as well.
Originally, the FDEP cited Indianhead in violation due to the odor problems. However, they have since begun to tell residents other things such as "We don't monitor odors", "It's normal for a facility to have a little odor"; "Odor is subjective."
The FDEP has failed to enforce the Odor Management Plan.
The FDEP closed out the consent order in December 2024 and stated that they believed the odor problem would go away now that the facility was operating in compliance. It did not and while the consent order mentions the odor as a part of what needs to be remedied, the FDEP failed to make a checkbox for it when keeping track of the violations being corrected. The odor has been documented as still present and affecting the neighborhoods.
With the permit renewal process, the FDEP states: "Based upon [Indianhead Biomass'] application and supplemental information, the Department has determined that the applicant has provided reasonable assurance that the above describe wastewater project complies with the applicable provisions of Chapter 403, F.S., and Title 62 of the F.A.C." despite the fact they are currently in violation of Title 62. (See "Current Violations: Odor" Page).
In the permit renewal, the FDEP states that Indianhead will "continue to follow" the Odor Management Plan. This is after having documented that Indianhead has never followed the Odor Management Plan.
What Is The FDEP Doing About It?
According to the County, there was a law change in 2023 that removed the County's ability to monitor or enforce any rules regarding biosolid operations directly. Since odor is a byproduct of the biosolids operations, the County has said that the FDEP is the one required to enforce all of the rules pertaining to odor. This applies to all biosolid Special Use Permits issued after Nov. 2019.
However, we would like to note an oddity in the situation:
August 2018: FDEP issued the biosolids permit to Indianhead Biomass
October 2018: Indianhead Biomass began processing biosolids as shown by their DMRs
April 2019: Indianhead Biomass applied for the Special Use Permit with the County
March 2020: The County issued the Special Use Permit to Indianhead Biomass
We are currently awaiting a response from the County as to how Indianhead was permitted to process biosolids beginning October 2018 without having applied for nor obtained a Special Use Permit which is required for them to process biosolids on the property.
What Is The County Doing About It?
In January 2025, we reached out for help from Senator Leek, Representative Sapp, Representative Kim Kendall, Vice Mayor Barbara Blonder, FDEP Attorney General, EPA Headquarters, EPA Region 4, and Governor Ron DeSantis. We either heard nothing back from them or were told to handle the situation with the BOCC and the FDEP.
Everyone we have reached out to has received a full packet regarding the situation as well as the petition with 199 physical signatures and over 611 online signatures. If you would like to see the online petition, please see here. However, please note, any donations on change.org do not benefit us. Those donations go toward change.org.
Who Else Have We Reached Out To?
What Environmental Concerns Are There?
Air Pollution
The FDEP may say that breathing in the odor is not harmful; however, there is not enough scientific research that has been done to prove this as a fact. "Toxicity values are only available for a small number of odorants found in the US. Without data on the common odorants released from biosolids, including concentrations near application sites, and acute and chronic toxicity values, it is difficult to assess human health risk." (source)
There has been research discussing the inhalation risks of wind-blown biosolids. An analysis of the reported studies conducted by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Earth & Environmental Science confirmed that the dust released from biosolids could be enriched with microplastics and PFAS. (source)
Many residents nearby Indianhead Biomass have experienced worsening allergies, more frequent illnesses, respiratory issues, and sinus issues. These are common symptoms associated with biosolid exposure.
The Department of Health has been contacted; however, they say that they cannot conduct research unless the FDEP takes samples. The FDEP has refused to take samples.
Soil and Water Pollution
The FDEP discovered that Indianhead Biomass had pushed their biosolids operation 3.4 acres Northeast of their allowed Zone B and into Hinman's private property without a permit or authorization. They destroyed the trees in this area without a permit to do so and the area where they operated was not properly clay-lined. The purpose of the clay lining is to prevent any seepage into the ground.
Despite the FDEP noting it was not clay lined and despite Moultrie Creek being nearby, the FDEP has not done any soil or water samples to ensure the safety of the community and has refused to do so citing that "it's all organic".
Unauthorized 3.4 Acre Expansion:
Who Owns and Operates Indianhead?
Roy Hinman, II.
Dr. Roy H. Hinman is a family medicine doctor at Island Doctors in Saint Augustine, Florida. He has been the owner of Indianhead Exploration, LLC. since its original iteration in 2007 when it was a yard waste and debris handling facility. In 2018, he established Indianhead Biomass, LLC. and filed for a permit to process biowaste material.
Joe Williams
Joe "Dirt" Williams is the co-founder of Indianhead Biomass, LLC and Indianhead Exploration, LLC. He has been alongside Roy Hinman since the beginning when they both started the composting operation in 2007. He is also the owner of Joe Dirt Inc. in St. Augustine, FL.